Take a ride through Baltimore's history!

Readers, have you ever been to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum? Perhaps you've seen it while biking on driving on Falls Road, or seen the crumbling old railroad outbuilding from the Light Rail, and wondered what goes on there? It is definitely worth your time to check it out! It is a really unique museum that would has something for streetcar enthusiasts of all ages! Admission is reasonable at $7 for an afternoon of riding historic streetcars--the very same ones that generations of Baltimoreans rode before you. For $7, you can to chat with adorable old men who take their streetcar-conducting very seriously, stopping at every stop sign:

You are given these beautiful, intricate tokens to board the trolleys:

And then you get a real vintage ticket as a transfer, so they can be sure everyone has paid their fare:

 You are surrounded by amazing vintage advertisements in each car:

You can browse the small museum itself, with detailed dioramas such as this one of a streetcar line I'd find useful today:

And you can talk to the volunteers who operate the museum and have restored these historic vehicles simply because they want to share their passion with future generations: 

All in all, I found the history to be fascinating and the interactive experience was certainly memorable. Considering the average age of the volunteer staff had to be at least 75, I'm not sure what the future of this museum holds. It seems crazy to me that Baltimore, like many cities, once had an extensive network of streetcars--but removed them in favor of auto transport. Such a step backwards! I know there were many factors at play, including the auto industry's financial influence, but it is remarkable to think about what streetcar travel throughout Baltimore used to look like.

By the way, have you heard about the Baltimore Streetcar Campaign (formerly the Charles Street Trolley)? Despite my love of streetcars, I am not quite sure how I feel about adding a trolley line to a route already serviced by busses--but their website and design scheme is really snazzy and it's definitely worth a look! How do you feel about their proposal for a modern-day streetcar system?

Sailabrating the War of 1812

I sincerely hope everyone in the Baltimore area has taken advantage of the historic, monumental commemoration that has engulfed our city for the past few days! If not, go check out the tall ships before they leave tomorrow morning! I am not a connoisseur of tall ships--nor am I a huge fan of the Blue Angels, as their booming sound and uncomfortably close proximity to buildings freaks me out--but I have been totally loving the Star-Spangled Sailabration! The festival has been a genuinely exciting way to kick off the War of 1812 Bicentennial and show off our city to a wide swath of visitors. For someone who truly loves history, being able to share my adopted hometown's rich heritage with so many interested visitors was a dream come true!

One my favorite moments of the festival was attending the Star-Spangled Symphony, my first time hearing the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, (Governor) O'Malley's March, or the U.S. Navy Chorus. I absolutely love that tickets were only $15, opening the doors to the gorgeous Meyerhoff Symphony Hall to new audiences (including me). The Philip Glass premiere was very exciting, but the rousing American tunes that followed truly made my heart swell with patriotism and pride (the huge 15-star, 15-stripe flag draping the back of the stage probably helped too). O'Malley's March was pretty darn cool--the Governor has a gift for songwriting and some serious stage presence (no surprise there). The finale, of course, with red, white & blue confetti was really something to remember!

In addition to the symphony, I loved wandering around the Inner Harbor admiring the tall ships and of course, people-watching too. I have seen so many awesome American flag shirts and sweaters in the past five days (seriously, I love Americana and patriotic kitsch). The festival set-up at Fells Point was a delightful surprise as well. I didn't make it to two of my favorite places in Baltimore--Fort McHenry or the Flag House--this weekend but I am sure they were packed with enthusiastic visitors. 

I can only imagine all of the many, many hours of hard work that went into planning this event of international proportions--kudos to all involved at the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission and Star-Spangled 200! I can't wait to celebrate the Baltimore of Baltimore in September 2014!

Here are some photos from the weekend. I realize there were many great photo ops but I seemed to have missed all of them! I went a few different days so that explains the change in lighting...

Best Baltimore-area day trips

Lifelong East Coast residents may take it for granted that we can easily travel to a different state and back in a day, but the proximity of so many interesting sites, cities and states on the East Coast still fascinates me. I love the fact that just an hour away from Baltimore you can experience a totally different pace of life—Maryland truly lives up to its moniker of “America in Miniature.” In the past year I’ve tried to take advantage of Baltimore’s location—straddling the North and South, Atlantic coast and Appalachian foothills—by going on many day trips. Of course, there are plenty of adventures to be had further away (i.e. New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the far western parts of Maryland, lower Eastern Shore, etc.) but today I’ll share some of my favorite destinations within a two-hour drive of Baltimore. Just a warning—if you’re not into history and historic sites, these might not interest you…


Civil War sites
The Civil War Sesquicentennial, which will continue into 2015, is a great time to explore the hallowed battlefields in our midst. Antietam, which lies just south of Hagerstown, is remembered as the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. Significant markers of Lee’s Maryland campaign are still striking to see today, including Dunker Church, the Cornfield, and the Burnside Bridge. I’d recommend capping off your visit to Antietam with ice cream from Nutter’s in the well-preserved town of Sharpsburg, just minutes from the battlefield. This September will be an exciting time in the area, with the “Maryland, My Maryland” commemoration of the Battles of South Mountain and Antietam—complete with reenactments, concerts, lectures and a festival. If you haven’t been to Frederick, stop by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine to complement what you learn at the battlefield—or keep in mind that Frederick is just a wonderful place to visit anytime (walkable downtown, lots of great restaurants, beautiful canal, well-preserved architecture)!  Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle in the entire Civil War, is worth the trip across the Mason-Dixon Line (it’s just a few minutes north of Emmitsburg in Frederick County). A few shots from a trip to Antietam in August:

Downtown Sharpsburg

 If you’re really up for a day packed full of Civil War battlefield tours, head south to the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in Virginia, referred to as “the bloodiest landscape in North America” on its National Park Service website. There are four battlefields within fifteen miles of each other: The Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Court House. By the end of the day it may seem exhausting and repetitive, but the significance of each is really extraordinary. I would highly recommend taking a ranger-guided tour at Chancellorsville to learn how Stonewall Jackson was wounded, and trips to both the Union and Confederate cemeteries in the area. Our time at Fredericksburg Battlefield was greatly enhanced by using the Civil War Trust’s awesome (and free!) Battle App, which provided multimedia such as video and audio to help illuminate the events that transpired there in December 1862. The town of Fredericksburg is a pleasure to walk around and I would whole-heartedly recommend Sammy T’s restaurant on Caroline Street for a quick bite. Photos from our trip to Fredericksburg in November:

Fredericksburg Battlefield

 Confederate trenches at Spotsylvania Court House

 Chancellorsville

 Wilderness Battlefield

Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania Court House

Spotsylvania Confederate Cemetery

Eastern Shore 
There are countless sleepy small towns to explore on the Delmarva peninsula, but my personal favorite is Chestertown. This central Eastern Shore (Kent County) town is amazingly well-preserved and has a definite colonial feel to it. I’m sure it’s lovely year-round, but I would totally recommend going to the Chestertown Tea Party Festival on Memorial Day weekend. Even if you’re not a big fan of colonial reenactments, the Tea Party Festival is a lot of fun for visitors of all ages—especially at the end of the day, when everyone watches the “colonists” dump “tea” into the Chester River with great fervor. A few May 2011 festival photos:

Other memorable festivals on the Eastern Shore are the annual Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Show, held at the Talbot County Fairgrounds outside Easton each July, and the Chesapeake Folk Festival at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in gorgeous St. Michael’s at the end of July. I was almost completely unaware of what was going on at the Tuckahoe Show—vintage steam tractors are not my area of expertise—but loved the opportunity to soak up this authentic Eastern Shore tradition…and to try Maryland beaten biscuits for the first time!

If you have a little extra time for your day trip, get to the Shore via the Bay Bridge but drive back through Cecil County (route 213 and then 95). There are some lovely, historic small towns sprinkled throughout Cecil County, including North East, Elkton and Port Deposit. One fun fact about Elkton is that it was a very popular place for couples to elope until a 1938 law instituted a 48-hour waiting period before marriage.

I love the Live Bait vending machine in North East.

Other Destinations 
If you don’t have the time or energy to make it all the way to the Shore or western Maryland, you can always have a good time in our own backyard. I thought of Howard County as strictly suburban until I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival at the county fairgrounds last May. I don’t knit or own sheep, but I had a delightful time learning about shearing, spinning, and shepherding. There were also really unique and well-priced antique vendors and delicious snack options, which sure make me happy. Of course, Ellicott City is another quintessential historic Maryland town that is sure to please if you enjoy antique shopping, railroad history, and/or fine dining.

These bags are all full of wool!

Annapolis, the state capital, is just an hour south of Baltimore but its nautical, preppy, old-money vibe makes it feel light-years away. It took me four years of living in Maryland to finally make it there, but I think a trip to the State House is something every Marylander should do at least once. Finally, I love the Harford County town of Havre de Grace immensely. It will always hold a special place in my heart as the place where Tim proposed, but even before that I loved strolling its tidy main streets and admiring its beautiful Victorian homes. Its natural setting at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay makes for a striking view, which you can enjoy by walking along the waterfront to the Concord Point Lighthouse. The Havre de Grace Decoy Museum surprised me with its high-quality exhibits and the Maritime Museum is also worth a visit. I totally adored the Candlelight House Tour in December, sponsored by the Lock House Museum. Havre de Grace is also an important War of 1812 site, with plenty of bicentennial happenings coming up in the next two years—check them out here.

 I love the Victorian houses along Union Avenue in Havre de Grace!

 Concord Point Lighthouse

 My day trips lined up for 2012 include Historic St. Mary’s City in Southern Maryland; New Market (antiques), Brunswick (railroad museum) and Harper’s Ferry (Civil War site); and the Halloween Mummer’s parade in Hagerstown in October. Please let me know if you have any recommendations for other local trips!